My Twice-Written Governor General's Nominee

“There are rules for what I’ve done.  

Specific punishments for 

crimes against friendship.”

Laren Olivier knows the rules, but her attraction to a friend’s ex-boyfriend is strong.  She tells herself that if only they can keep their romance a secret, no one will get hurt.  But Laren is not the only one with something to hide.

Thus begins a year long journey through secrets, lies, exposures and betrayals.  Somehow, Laren must find a way to reconcile who she is with what she’s done.  At the same time, she finds herself struggling with a discovery so shocking it rocks the very foundation of her world.  

This, my 21st published book, was written twice.  The first version was prose, but, I was not entirely satisfied with the voice.  Eventually, and with the blessing of my longsuffering editor, Christie Harkin, I tackled it again, only this time in a free verse format.  

I would like to acknowledge, with sincere thanks, the support of Canada Council, which made it possible for me to complete this project. 

Reviews and Awards!

Shortlisted for the 2013 Governor General's Awards in the Children's Text category.

Shortlisted for the 2013 - 2014 Red Maple Award
Shortlisted for the 2014-2015 Snow Willow Award

Winner of the 2013 Word Guild Award in the Juvenile Category
Horn Book Outstanding Selection 
OLA Best Bets 2013: Young Adult Fiction

Review: CM Magazine

Review: CanLit for Little Canadians

 .

Testify

“Before you judge me, there are two things you should know about why I did it.”

Shana Tremain is a good kid. She knows right from wrong and she’s never been in any serious trouble. But when her best friend, Carrie, comes to her for help, Shana agrees to break the law to save Carrie from a molester. She even feels good about it — for a while.

Then trouble starts. Someone in their group of friends is stealing from the others. As she searches for the truth, Shana uncovers evidence that raises a terrifying question: Has she made a horrible mistake?

Faced with the reality of what she’s done, Shana finds herself trapped in a web of her own lies and deceit. Can she convince the right people that she’s telling the truth now? Either way it’s clear someone is going to pay a terrible price for her crime.
___________________________________________

Reviews for Testify

 Quill & Quire  

CM Magazine 


Free Teacher Resource Guide Available Here:


Testify: Teacher Resource Guide

Accomplice

Lexie Malton has a secret.  Her ex-boyfriend, Devlin, is now a heroin addict living on the street, and only Lexie knows that she's the one who put him there.

Even worse, Lexie's guilt makes her give in to Devlin's demands for money time after time, even though she understands how dangerous his drug use is.

Lexie finally finds the strength to stop enabling Devlin.  But when Devlin seeks treatment for his addiction, Lexie finds herself drawn back to him, never guessing what a dark and deadly path she has just chosen.

_________________________________

This was an interesting story to write.  Even though my work background has brought me in contact with today's drug culture, I discovered that I knew very little about heroin use. What I learned during the course of my research truly shocked me. 

Accomplice is one of two short novels I wrote designed to be high interest stories for both avid and reluctant readers.  I've written a second book in the same category.  It's called Testify, and it will be published this August.

_____________________________________

Accomplice has been reviewed in:

Quill & Quire

CM Magazine

***

Miss Wondergem's Dreadfully Dreadful Pie

Miss Wondergem's Bakery, coming quite soon!

In fact, it will open tomorrow at noon!

There's a brand new bakery in town and no one could be happier about it than Myrna, Verna and Bradley McGrew.  As much as they love their mother, the McGrew children can't help but dread what comes out of her kitchen - and with very good reason!  For example:

Her cookies and muffins and pies were so hard

That they used them for building a fort in the yard.

Miss Wondergem's arrival promises to solve this problem, and the children waste no time in presenting themselves at the bakery the very first day it opens.  Unfortunately, Miss Wondergem's pies are more than a little unusual, and the children are in for a most unpleasant surprise.

The charming artwork for this picture book is by Wendy J. Whittingham, who truly brought the story to life with her illustrations.  Readers will enjoy meeting, not only the children, their mom and Miss Wondergem, but also the McGrew's family pet, a delightful hedgehog named Spike.

Tumbleweed Skies

A motherless girl, a grandmother who cannot forgive, an injured magpie and a warm prairie summer ...

Tumbleweed Skies takes place in Saskatchewan during the 1950s.  Ellie Stewart, whose home is in Moose Jaw, finds herself having to spend the summer in the fictional town of Weybolt after her father is laid off from his regular job and is forced to take a temporary position as a travelling salesman.

From her first glimpse of the farm that will be her home for the next months, Ellie senses that she may not be particularly welcome.

"I could tell right away that this wasn't a house that wanted me."

The beautiful cover of this book is the artwork of David Jardine. 

This is my first book for this age group, and it was thrilling to write from the perspective of a child this age.  I hope that readers will enjoy meeting Ellie.

*  *  *  *  *  *

News Updates for Tumbleweed Skies

Shortlisted for the Ann Connor Brimer Award, 2010

Shortlisted for the 2011 - 2012 Saskatchewan Diamond Willow Award

Shortlisted for the 2011 - 2012 Hackmatack Award

Shortlisted for the 2011 - 2012 Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award

*  *  *  *  *  *

There's a GOLDFISH In My Shoe!

What?  Is it really a whole year since the first picture book came out?

Apparently, yes.  And now the second one is in bookstores.

I like to believe that the story is fun, but it's the off-the-wall zaniness of the illustrations that I think will really appeal to children.  They are wild and crazy and quirky enough to delight kids and adults alike.

In his second adventure, Oscar Ollie Brown tries to figure out why it's not always a good idea to do exactly what his mother tells him to!

For example, when Oscar's mom tires of his endless chatter and tells him to hold his tongue ...

A tongue is rather hard to hold
But boys like me do what we're told
I used both hands and got it tight
And held my tongue with all my might.

Then, as I waited to be praised
My mother said, as though amazed,
"Now what on earth is this about?
Don't put your fingers in your mouth!"

You might think she'd make up her mind!
Not my mom, she's the changing kind!

An interview with Oscar and I can be viewed here, as he talks about his earlier adventures in There's a COW Under My Bed!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_hGC2R5EZ4

Oscar and I hope you'll enjoy it.

Watcher

From the back cover:

Sixteen-year-old Porter Delancy believes he has his future figured out, but his nice, neat plans are shaken when a man he believes may be his father suddenly appears in his Toronto neighbourhood.  Porter knows he wants nothing to do with the deadbeat dad who abandoned him and his sister 12 years earlier, but curiosity causes him to re-examine the past.

Unfortunately, actual memories are scarce and confusing, and much of what he knows is based on things his mother has told him.  As Porter looks for answers, it begins to seem that all he's ever going to find are more questions.
__________________________________________

Watcher wasn't an easy book for me to write.  It deals with an issue that horrifies me, for many reasons - that being, Parental Alienation.

Parental Alienation is a form of abuse involving the destruction of a child's relationship with one parent, by the other.  It is, for the most part, an unpunished crime.

Those who pay the highest price are the victims: the children, who are often programmed to become innocent participants in the attack against a parent with whom they formerly enjoyed a loving relationship.  Their real memories are replaced with stories of abuse and abandonment.

Parental Alienation is a hate crime - a crime of lies and manipulation.

Our courts have been slow to recognize and act to protect the children of divorce who are affected by PA.

We pray for justice to prevail through truth and love.